Now that summer is in
the air, it’s a great time to get out and take a road trip! Here are just a few
things you can do in the areas around Palmer’s Florida Campus that don’t include
the usual Orlando/Disney fair. Included are the miles away from campus for each
location.
• Tomoka
State Park – Ormond Beach, Fla. (23.05 miles)
Tomoka State Park
offers fishing, boating, canoeing, nature trails and picnicking. It’s located
near the confluence of the Tomoka and Halifax rivers.
• Blue Springs
State Park – Orange City, Fla. (31.27 miles)
Blue Spring State
Park has more than 2,600 acres and includes the largest spring on the St. Johns
River. It is a designated Manatee Refuge (mid-November through March) and the
winter home to a number of West Indian Manatees. Here you can swim, snorkel,
scuba dive, fish, canoe, boat, hike, camp, picnic and more.
• Winter Park,
Fla. (53.68 miles)
Winter Park is located 20 miles northeast of
Orlando and offers a variety of museums, upscale shops, cafes, restaurants,
nightlife and more. Festivals occur year-round, including the upcoming 20th Annual Florida Film
Festival (April 8-17).
• St. Augustine,
Fla. (60.48 miles)
St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Spanish
explorer and admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles and is “the oldest continuously
occupied European-established city and port in the continental United States.”
Thus, the city has a great number of Spanish Colonial buildings as well as
beautiful 19th century architecture. While in historic St. Augustine, be sure to
visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse
and Museum, Castillo
de San Marcos, Old Jail Museum (located in the Old St. Johns County Jail),
Dow Museum of Historic Houses, Colonial
Spanish Quarter, World Golf Hall of Fame, St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Zoological Park, and more.
• Pioneer Florida Museum
& Village – Dade City, Fla. (132.13 miles)
Walk through
Florida’s history at Pioneer Florida Museum & Village. The grounds consist
of 16 acres and include the main museum, a small 1800’s village of pioneer
buildings, and antique artifacts.
Looking for something a little
different? Check out these unusual attractions:
• Haunts of the World’s Most
Famous Beach – Daytona Beach, Fla. Learn about Daytona Beach's ghost
stories as well as history during this fascinating walking tour.
•
The
Fountain of Youth – St. Augustine, Fla. (61.34 miles)
Ponce de
Leon’s legendary Fountain of Youth is actually a spring, but you can enjoy much
more than a drink from the “fountain” when you visit. The grounds are also an
archaeological park that has exhibits and a planetarium.
• Gatorland – Orlando,
Fla. (69.20 miles)
Founded in 1949, Gatorland is a Florida staple.
It’s located on 110-acres and is still owned by founder Owen Godwin’s family.
After venturing through the “gaping gator mouth entrance,” you’ll enter a world
consisting of thousands of alligators and crocodiles, reptile shows, breeding
marsh, aviary, petty zoo, swamp walk, educational programs and more.
•
The Airstream Ranch – Along
Interstate 4, Dover, Fla. (125.08 miles)
Called the Stonehenge of RV
fans, The Airstream Ranch consists of seven and a half silver Airstream
recreational vehicles upended from the ground in a row.
• Bowling Ball
House/Whimzeyland – Safety Harbor, Fla. (158.41 miles)
You have to see this
house (and the surrounding ones that make up Whimzeyland) to believe it. Artists
Todd Ramquist and Kiaralinda transformed an average house into a a whimsical
artist landscape, complete with hand-painted bowling balls, colorful sculptures
and architectural embellishments.
• Burt Reynolds and
Friends Museum – Jupiter, Fla. (176.72 miles)
Whether you're a
fan of Burt Reynolds or a sucker for 1970s nostalgia, you won't want to miss the
Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum in Jupiter. Here you can see Reynolds' People's
Choice awards, Golden Globes and the canoe from the movie "Deliverance." Why is
this Hollywood icon's museum in a small town in Florida? He grew up nearby.
According to Roadside
America, Reynolds himself put up many of the photos on display. Check out
this blog post from someone who visited the museum recently: http://thedroidyourelookingfor.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/reynolds-rap-visiting-the-burt-reynolds-friends-museum/.